Metro Briefing | New York: Manhattan: Panel To Study M.T.A. Costs

By WILLIAM NEUMAN; Compiled by Anthony Ramirez

Published: February 1, 2007

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to name a panel to study why costs are rising so quickly for construction projects that are part of its long-term spending program. The authority has budgeted $21 billion for major projects from 2005 to 2009, but increasing construction costs are causing estimates for many of those projects to rise far beyond expectations. The panel will also review budget estimates and timetables for what are known as megaprojects, including the Second Avenue subway, a Long Island Rail Road link to Grand Central Terminal, and an extension of the No. 7 subway line, the authority's executive director and chief executive, Elliot G. Sander, said yesterday. He said the panel would take up to three months to do its work, which would include recommending ways to keep costs down. WILLIAM NEUMAN